Ever wonder where all those Sacagewea dollars go?

I have now:
- seen 3 llamas
- eaten 2 guinea pigs
- helped skin and gut 1 fish to eat

Our group of trainees just came back from a 4-day technical trip to learn more about gardens and soil conservation and environmental education and other exciting save-the-rainforest activities! I can now make some pretty mean topsoil.

I taught my host brother how to play slapjack last night. He´s getting pretty good at it. Next I´ll have to try spoons... Good thing it isn´t forks, cause Ecuador doesn´t believe in forks or knives. Everything is eaten with spoons. Salad, potatoes, pasta, even meat. I´m getting pretty good at cutting my beef with a spoon.

So, you remember those days back in the early part of this century, when post offices and WalMarts across the country started handing out those funny gold coins with some lady on them, and you could exchange them for something that cost a dollar. And everyone thought they were so cool. For about a month. And then they disappeared off the face off the earth. Well I have exciting news for everyone!!! They did not quite make it all the way off the earth, they simply migrated to the equator. Yes, it´s true, when you come visit me in Ecuador, you will see that the Sacagewea dollars are quite abundant down here. I don´t know if the Ecuadorians know who Sacagewea is, but I do know that she can buy me a bus ride into the city, a candy bar, and a bus ride back. Or 2 hours worth of Internet. Which I´m just about to use up...